The cloud and DHPOS

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The cloud and DHPOS

Post by daleadmin » Fri Mar 15, 2013 11:27 am

I have received a few emails basically asking me when I am going to come out with a "Cloud" version of DHPOS. Fortunately I have a strong opinion about cloud computing in that it is a really terrible idea. But as unlikely as it may seem, I could be wrong, as folks will undoubtedly be pointing out to me in replies to this post. Or it may be another example of me just not getting the concept.

First we will skip the part about me not having the faintest idea of how to produce a cloud version of DHPOS. I imagine that if I had the tiniest desire to do it I would be able to find some way to accomplish the task, probably involving Jon. And of course it would generate some bucks for me since there would be expenses involved in leasing servers and other costs of creating a cloud environment and since money would be changing hands I would charge a small pittance extra for me. Blasphemy, I know, my fate is to remain poor so I can provide software to others for free.

Anyway, here are several reasons why the cloud is pointless.

1. You have to pay for it, monthly. Sure, I could continue to give away the software for free, but since I would have to lease space on a server farm I am positively not going to pay the farm out of my pocket so that you can use it for free. I do realize that some of you out there cannot figure out why I would not give you free server time that I pay for, you will just have to take my word on it. It would be a bad idea for me and unsustainable. Really, it would. Ask your mom to explain it to you using small words.

2. I raise my prices, you're screwed.
3. I die and the business closes up, you're screwed.
4. The server company folds, you're screwed.
5. Your internet connection goes down, you're screwed.
6. The server internet connection goes down, you're screwed.
7. The server goes down, you're screwed.
8. The server is hacked, you're screwed.
9. The server loses / corrupts your data, you're screwed.
10. You forget to pay your bill, check is lost in the mail, accounting error, etc. and your account is closed, you're screwed.
11. Slow internet connection, you're screwed.
12. Only God knows what happened, you're screwed.

How many different ways can this end badly for you?

Now comes the list of reasons why putting anything on the cloud is a fantastic idea.

1. If your computer blows up sending its hard drive into low earth orbit all you have to do is to connect another computer to the server and all your stuff is there. Or you could just make backups of your data and skip the cloud.

2. You can access your files on any computer from anywhere at any time. (This assumes that 2 - 12 listed above does not happen.) This may be a good idea if you want to listen to your latest Taylor Swift download, kind of pointless for a cash register where you sort of have to be near your merchandise to ring it up.

3. You get to pay for it every month generating an expense that can reduce your taxes at the end of the year.

Personally I like to pay for my software and use it for decades without paying any more. If for some reason, I retire, I lose my job, huge medical expense, etc., and I can no longer pay my cloud bill, all of my stuff will not simply evaporate into the cloud never to be seen again.

And I like to be in control of my data and not have to rely on some unknown entity to insure its access and safety. I have 3 data sticks and I make a backup on one of them every time I move from one place to another (work / home) so I always have a backup of my software and data in my pants. And I am rarely anywhere without my pants being nearby. Although I do have to admit that I do not have 20 gigabytes to backup.

But I may just be nuts. Below is your opportunity to prove me wrong.

Dale

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Re: The cloud and DHPOS

Post by brucef2112 » Fri Mar 15, 2013 11:06 pm

My answers to Dales

Reasons why the cloud is pointless
1. True
2. True
3. True
4. True
5. True
6. True
7. True
8. True
9. True
10. True
11. True
12. True

Putting anything on the cloud is a fantastic idea
1. True
2. True
3. True
But I may just be nuts.
TRUE

love ya dale...
Later,
Bruce

They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
Benjamin Franklin - Historical Review of Pennsylvania, 1759

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Re: The cloud and DHPOS

Post by peewee3ie » Sun Mar 24, 2013 3:06 pm

Hi Dale,

I am glad I am not alone as in not liking cloud computing and you make me even feel better that I know someone else. :-)

I do work with computers every day repairing them and looking after a 12' x 12' room with load servers in it and it can be a pain when one go down.
Tony McGuire
Ireland Support

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Re: The cloud and DHPOS

Post by daleadmin » Mon Mar 25, 2013 10:02 pm

Peewee,

I am glad that you agree with me. I thought I was alone also.

All the time I read on the internet how thankfully everything will be moving into the cloud and I keep screaming into my head, "Are you all congenitally stupid?" Then I think that it may be me, that I am once again just not getting the concept. But the more I look into it the more I am convinced that the cloud is a really bad idea. It is a fine way to continuously shell out money in order to put your data in danger of being hacked, lost, stolen, or losing contact with it for random unknown lengths of time. Am I the one that is crazy?

And that does not consider that the software that you need to manipulate your data does not belong to you, you are just renting it. What happens if the software you depend on gets discontinued, modified, upgraded, downgraded, or just disappears? What if the software gets the Windows 8 metro treatment and you can no longer figure out how to use it? What then?

Can anyone explain the cloud to me in terms that make it sound like a good idea?

Dale

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Re: The cloud and DHPOS

Post by small » Mon Mar 25, 2013 10:51 pm

well for one it frees up your hard drive space by storing stuff on their servers.
you can access your data any place any time that internet is available.


need i say more?

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Re: The cloud and DHPOS

Post by peewee3ie » Tue Mar 26, 2013 4:07 am

Small. That still does not sum it up for me.

Ok I have broadband from a fixed phone line coming to the house and most of use do.

I have setup an old pc with linux to hold my files and lets me access them from any computer at home. I can also connect to it when out and about. I use a secure port and it also a port that is not use much now adays and also is does not show up in port scanners which is good. I am not paying and one money to hold my data every month and still making use of my broadband when I am not there.

OK it can go down as well but know it me and it never gone down much since i set it up 3 years ago. It has only gone down twice in that space of time. If that computer does go I still have my files at that can access on my computer just by removing that hard disk from the pc and plugging it in to my computer via USB get my data as the hard disk that holds my data is in a caddy that has sata direct for when using with a pc that has a spare 5 1/4" bay free and USB for temporary connections

So why should I pay for my file to be stored someway and 90% risk of been hack when I can do it with a 10% of been hack. I should say any one could.

I very rarely use it now as I have memory sticks that are 64GB and I have also smaller ones as well. I will use these to move files around now. I can also use m phone as a memory stick as it a Android phone. If I am going any where that I mite need access to more of my file I will take my laptop now.
Tony McGuire
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Re: The cloud and DHPOS

Post by brucef2112 » Tue Mar 26, 2013 8:31 pm

With the low cost of large memory sticks, Ol' School Sneaker Net is the way I roll.
Later,
Bruce

They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
Benjamin Franklin - Historical Review of Pennsylvania, 1759

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Re: The cloud and DHPOS

Post by daleadmin » Thu Aug 29, 2013 1:18 pm

The cloud has bitten me in the ass and I do not even use it.

I had a doctor's appointment today and when I arrived there I was told that there was a massive data crash at the host my doctor uses to store her records in the cloud. All of her data and all of her patient records (including mine) are gone forever.

Both the main drive and the backup drive are corrupted. Both drives were sent to a drive recovery company and no data could be retrieved. There were no offline, offsite backups.

My doctor is suing the host and I hope she gets a bazillion dollars but that will not restore my medical records.

The cloud sucks.

Dale

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